Kevin Dukes Acquitted of All Charges – Murell & Matt Win Major Case

Christopher Murell and Meghan Matt scored a resounding victory on August 2nd when their client, Kevin Dukes, was acquitted by an East Baton Rouge jury of all charges, namely second-degree murder and obstruction of justice.

Mr. Dukes had been falsely arrested and accused of this murder in December 2018. Chris Murell was retained to become lead trial counsel in April 2023. Mr. Dukes’ jury trial lasted two weeks from July 22 until August 2. In the trial, Chris conducted voir dire, gave Mr. Dukes’ opening statement, cross-examined all significant witnesses, and made the closing argument.

This “not guilty” verdict exemplifies the zealous representation, attention to detail, and courtroom skills you get when hiring Chris and Meghan. The State presented strong circumstantial evidence, and an expert, Michael Fegely, claimed to track Mr. Dukes’ movements with his cell phone. Additionally, the trial court erroneously allowed jurors to hear evidence of a second unrelated murder under Louisiana Code of Evidence Article 404(b).

Nevertheless, after scrutinizing every single piece of evidence down to the smallest detail, Chris was able to cross-examine the State’s witnesses to reveal how this seemingly damning evidence supported Mr. Dukes’ innocence, as well as showing the shoddy, unreliable, disgraceful homicide investigation performed by East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office. Indeed, under Chris’ questioning, the head of the Homicide Division at the Sheriff’s Office admitted substantial mistakes made by himself and other detectives working on Mr. Dukes’ case.

Chris also fiercely cross-examined the State’s expert, who claimed to be able to show Mr. Dukes’ movement on the night of the killing through a flawed computer program. By the end of cross-examination, it was clear that the “expert” was not an expert, but a hired gun who comes in with flashy presentations to make defendants look guilty—even when they are not.

This victory would have been impossible without the tireless effort, experience, and in-court talent clients that hire our firm receive. Chris and Meghan deconstructed the State’s case, demonstrated its witnesses were unreliable, and provided a compelling narrative of the innocence of their client. Jurors returned a verdict acquitting Mr. Dukes of second-degree murder and obstruction of justice.

Are you or a loved one charged with a serious felony? Do you need first-class representation? Contact us by scheduling a no-obligation case evaluation in person, over the phone, or online.